Simplified loose-leaf binder



Feb. 21, 1950 s, SEGALv 2,498,584

SIMPLIFIED LOOSE-LEAF BINDER Filed Nov. 15, 1945 lll/Hilf flllllllll 11111111 INVENTOR ATTO R N EY Patented Feb. 21, 1950 'SIMPLIFIED LOOSE-LEAF BHNDER Samuel Segal, New York, N. Y., assigner Ito Wilson-Jones Co., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Massachusetts Application November 15, 1945, Serial No. 628,679

1 Claim. 1

The subject matter of this invention is a loose leaf binder wherein a stack of sheets of paper may be quickly threaded on or removed from a ring section carrier adapted to be rotatably shifted relative to a reinforcing strap appropriately anchored to one panel of a flexible cover for the stack. The dominant object `of the invention Ais realized in the provision of spaced bearing means on the strap for rotatably guiding the axle of the ring section carrier against the resistance oiiered by va medially arranged part of the strap against cam .means projecting lfrom the axle whereby the ring section carrier may be held in its fully closed position against accidental opening and against accidental closing when in a partly or yfully opened position. The invention has as a further object the provision of a simplied loose leaf binder wherein the ring section carrier on closing thereof on passing its dead center is automatically rotated to its full closing position and on opening thereof on passing its dead center is automatically rotated to its full open position. Other important objects and functional and structural advantages will appear from the following detailed descriptiontaken with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a portion of the loose leaf binder according to my invention, re-- movably interlocking with a swingable panel or l top cover for a stack of papers.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the loose leaf binder showing the swingable panel raised and illustrating the binder closed or locking the stack papers.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional View on the line 3-#3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view illustrating the ring section carrier in its normal closed position.

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 4 showing the ring section carrier fully opened.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional View on the line 6 6 of Fig. 4, exhibiting the ring section carrier in a yclosed position and 'held against opening by a-reinforcing and -resilient strap.

Fig. '7 is an enlarged sectional view on the line -'l-`7of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 6V showing Athe full deiiection of the strap when vthe ring section v carrier is partly opened.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged sectional View on the `line 9 9 of Fig. `8, illustrating the ring section carrier at dead center.

Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 8, illustrating y2 the deflection of the strap when the ring 'sect-ion carrier is fully opened.

Fig. 1l is a Atransverse enlarged sectional View on the line ll-ll of Fig. 10.

Fig. l2fis a perspective view showing one mam ner of opening the rotatable lring vsection carrier and Fig. 1'3 `is an enlarged sectional View on the line lili-I3 of Fig. 4.

Illustrative of the embodiment disclosed, the loose leaf 'binder ygenerally denoted LL is intern posed between upper and 'lower panels lil and Il integrally merged with the `arcua'tely shaped end 'I2 whereby the upper panel may be swung towards or away from the lower panel. Panels il) and il and their integral connection .l2 Amay be considered as a one :piece flexible cover hereu in designated yC.

Fixedly'fastened to the upper part of panel or support l 1l is a relatively thin, slightly resilient sheet metal strap i3 which is disposed iia'twise against the top surface of panel Il and has its ends I4 bent under and secured tightly against outside face Aof the lpanel l'l. VBy this arrangement, the side margins of the panel I-l are tightly and firmly retained by the ends of the strap it vand the latter 'may be considered as re inforcing means for the panel ll.

Integral with strap I3 are the space-d bearings |15 which rotatably confine the rod or vaxle i5 having -a plurality of half ring sections or arcuately shaped hooks Il. The axle is integral ywith the end hooks Il and together for-,purposes yof specification these parts may be said to cha-racterize a ring section -carrier -or one piece stay adapted to be bodily rotated or rocked relative to the spaced bearings -l 5.

Depending from and integral with axle rod it is the tapered tooth or 'cam I3 -which normally stresses and abuts the medial portion i9 ofthe strap 13, causing this portion IS to be deflected 'ter vmay be grasped :by the operator and shifted towards the operator and above the strap i3. Consequently the axle It is rotated and the cam or tapered projection I8 further stresses and fur- 3 ther deects the membrane portion I9 of the resilient strap I3 until the hooks I1 are about half opened at which time the cam may be said to be at its dead center (Fig. 9).

Having passed the dead center, the relatively narrow and tapered lug or cam I8 reduces its intensity on the membrane portion or centrally arranged resilient portion I9 permitting the latter to retract automatically but not completely in that even when the hooks I 1 are fully opened the membrane portion I 9 is under slight deection by the cam I8, hence holding the rod or axle in a set position against accidental rotation to cause closing of the hooks. On moving to the full opened relation, the lower portions 20 of the hooks I1 abut the strap I3 (Fig. 11), hence precluding further rotational opening of the sectional ring carrier and the latter at this time may be said to be fully opened even though at this time the strap is under slight tension as previously pointed out, thus holding the ring section carrier against accidental closing.

With the hook or ring sections I1 partly or fully opened, loose leaf sheets 2l of a stack of papers S may be threaded on the hooks I1, that is, the free terminals of the hooks may be quickly projected through superimposed and alined slots as 22 in the perforated sheets 2| of the stack and thereafter the operator applies finger pressure to the exposed portions of the hooks to urge the latter to swingv over the posterior margin 23 of the stack to their closed position adjacent the panel II (Figs. 3 and 7), that is, the terminals of the hooks in their fully closed relation project beyond but contiguous to the posterior longitudinal edge of the strap and even below the upper surface of the latter.

On shifting of the hooks I 1 to their closed position, cam I8 accentuates the dellection of the membrane I9 until the dead center is reached and thereafter the deflection decreases but even so the hooks automatically fully close to straddle and lock the marginal portion 23 of the stack. It is thus apparent that by actuating the hooks, the axle I6 is rotated or rocked to permit opening or closing of the hooks at which time the compressor or strap I3 is always under tension or deection so that if desired the hooks may be retained in a partly opened relation or in a fully opened position, the partial opened relation being retained when the tapered tooth or cam I8 reaches its dead center (Figs. 8 and 9) at which time tooth I8 stresses the intervening or medially disposed membrane I9 to its greatest deection and hence the maximum thrust by the membrane is applied to the nose or base of the tooth I8, thereby frictionally braking the latter at the dead center whereby the stay characterized by the axle I6 and the spaced hooks I1 are held in a partially opened position.

Having properly locked the stack S on closing of the hooks I1, the upper panel I of the cover C is swung down against the stack whereby the upper portion of the hooks or ring sections I1 slightly pass through the spaced slots 24- in the upper panel I0 to preclude bulkiness and thus providing a compact organization. Moreover, by this arrangement, the upper panel IU is properly alined in that the hooks I1 on being received by the spaced slots 24 more positively position the upper panel relative to the lowel panel.

Where the upper panel I0 is .swung away from the stack, the latter if desired may be bodily grasped (Fig. 12) and pulled towards the operator. By this action hooks I1 are quickly opened. Thus a sheet of stack lS or the latter may be quickly removed and another sheet or stack readily substituted. Subsequently the hooks are manually actuated to shift the cam I 8 through its dead center and thereafter the reactive force imparted by the membrane I9 automatically retracts the hooks to their closing position.

Various changes may be made in details of construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof inherent therein.

I claim:

A loose leaf binder for a stack of sheet material with alined openings and adapted to be removably placed on a panel, a strap disposed widthwise of and having means for securing thereof to said panel and having spaced bearings integral with and extending from anterior portions of said strap and embodying a medially arranged resilient portion disposed intermediate of said bearings, a one piece stay comprising an axle rotatably guided by said bearings and spaced hooks disposed substantially normal to and integral with said axle and adapted to be removably threaded into said openings upon rotation of said axle in one direction for arranging the free terminals of said hooks to fully close said stay, said terminals in the fully closed relation of said stay extending beyond but contiguous to the posterior longitudinal edge of said strap and projecting below the upper surface of the latter and said hooks lbeing adapted to be removed from said openings for fully opening of said stay upon rotation of said axle in a counter direction, and a tapered and relatively narrow lug arranged substantially centrally of, integral with and carried by said axle above said resilient portion for tensioning and deflecting the latter towards said panel in the fully opened relation of said stay and for progressively tensioning and further flexing said resilient portion on rotation of said stay relative to said strap after said stay has been shifted from its fully opened relation towards its fully closed relation during which time said lug passes its dead center after which said tensioning and flexing of said resilient portion progressively decreases whereby said resilient portion automatically actuates said lug to rotate said axle to shift said stay from its partial open relation at said dead center to its fully closed relation, said lug and resilient portion frictionally engaging to hold said stay in a partial opened relation thereof when said lug is at said dead center.

SAMUEL SEGAL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 798,157 Blackmer et al Aug. 29, 1905 940,345 Moore Nov. 16, 1909 1,251,010 Gates Dec. 25, 1917 1,357,766 Ducharme Nov. 2, 1920 1,740,936 Watson Dec. 24, 1929 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 229,910 Great Britain Mar. 5, 1925 

